I'll Be There For You
by ShunKickShunKers
Summary: Maria just lost her father. Steve just wants to bring some confort. Natasha kisses Clint and Clint is confused. AU high-school and college. Clintasha and main Steve/Maria. Rated T to be safe
1. Chapter 1

**I hate being starting a new fic when I got exams on the way -and I reaaaally should be studying -or eating for the matter- but hey, it's the only way I can get this story off my mind :P So, if everything goes according to the plan, this fic should be seven chapter or so long. **

**Title came up listening to the radio; I thought it'd be fitting :) **

**AU halfway high-school (Clintasha) and halfway college (Steve/Maria). I took some liberties with each characters background, don't be offended ^^".**

**Enjoy!**

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**I'll Be There For You**

**1.**

"Okay guys, let's leave it here for today. Good job." Steve Rogers, SHIELD high football coach announced loudly. The team sighed in relief and quickly made their way back to the changing room. Only a few stayed back to clean the field. It was only when they left in turn that Steve spotted him.

Clint Barton. A senior student, captain of the Archery Club. Steve had heard his nickname, 'Hawkeye' due to his amazing aim- although he had never seen the teen in action himself. When Barton noticed him, Steve nodded as a greeting. The student replied with a wave of the hand before setting up the archery material. Steve went to the changing room in turn and upon the exit, glanced at the archery field. Froze. In barely ten minutes, three targets -set about twenty meters away from the shooter, were pelted with arrows, all fighting for space in the bullseye. Man, Steve thought, he knew the teen was good, but not _that_ good. He moved towards him, fully intending on congratulating him on his performance, when the angry expression on Clint's face made him slow down.

"Is something going on ?" he blurted without thinking. The arrow Clint had just released flew and joined the rest in a '_wizz tchac_'. Without looking at Steve, the archer reached for another arrow, aimed the third target and released the string. _Wizz tchac_. Okay, Steve thought, the teen was definitively angry.

"Woods is a dead guy walking" Clint hissed, picking a new arrow. _Wizz tchac_. "I saw him cheating on my sister."

It took Steve a few seconds to realize the Clint was talking to him, and more to catch up no what was said.

"Your sister?" As far as Steve knew, Clint Barton was an orphan, adopted by a childless couple. The woman had died a while ago and the man hadn't married again. Unless, Steve suddenly realized, he was referring to...

"Yeah, Maria." Clint's features tensed. "Son of a bitch."

_Wizz tchac_.

Maria Hill. The Ice Queen of high school when Steve was still there, now a college student in political science and waitress in the best bar in town. A beautiful girl, with breath-taking steel blue eyes. But also a cold and closed up teenager, civil at best and very unpopular among her peers. Steve couldn't remember her having any friends; her snappiness and impassive blank stare at anyone attempting to get closer to her made students either hate her on spot or tolerate her. Steve freely admitted that at first, he belonged to the formers. It wasn't until their graduation year that his opinion of her had started to change. Barely. He didn't really get along with her, but didn't consider her as a heartless robot anymore.

_Wizz tchac_.

Steve reported his attention on Clint. For some reason, the only person able to get to her was the teenager, and it came as a huge surprise to see her smile at him. Another thing that helped him tolerate her, the never ending respect and admiration a loner like Clint held in regards towards the young woman he shamelessly called sister. And the protective streak she had towards him.

"Are you going to tell her?"

_Wizz tchac_.

"Can't and won't" the young archer muttered, looking even angrier.

"Why not?" Steve asked out of curiosity. "You think she won't believe you?"

_Wizz tchac_.

"Oh she'll believe me all right." Clint replied, his eyes flaring -Woods _was_ a dead man walking indeed. "But she's got enough shit on her mind right now, I don't wanna add some more to it." _Wizz tchac_. "Her father passed away yesterday." Steve winced.

"Sorry to hear that?"

"Oh believe me, it's not what you think." Clint snorted. "She walked out on him at thirteen and demanded emancipation at sixteen. She's pissed because she will never prove him wrong – he called her trash till she got fed up with it and moved in with her uncle." He paused, checked around for another pack of arrows, his quiver empty now. "Plus, she found out he remarried, got her two half-brothers and never bothered telling her."

"Oh" was all Steve could say -because really, what could you say? Clint picked up a new quiver and started shooting again.

"Yeah, oh." _Wizz tchac_. The targets looked pitiful, torn by the bunch of arrows. "She'll never be able to prove him wrong, y'know? I mean, he always told her she would never do something decent with her life. You knew her mom died in labor, right? _Daddy_ never forgave her for it."

Steve didn't know what to day. He could only sympathize -because not being able to prove your father you weren't just some 'midget', he understood. But he had never suspected that part of her life. No wonder why she seemed so unapproachable back in high-school. And now, the frustration, the feeling of loss and discovered lies all at once...

"Why are you telling me this?" _Wizz tchac_.

"Need to vent, and you're good at keeping things to yourself." Steve accepted the excuse, although he suspected that there was more to it.

"Where is she now?"

"She spent the whole morning beating the shit out of punching bags. Guess she headed back there after her shift. But I'm not sure it's a good idea to talk to her right now, Cap." Captain America, as the football team called him instead of coach. Steve never understood why. "She might now be in the mood for listening."

Steve lips' thinned into a straight line.

"I sort of owe her a debt, Barton. And if I bother her, she won't hold back on me. Maybe it'll help her lay off some stream."

The last arrow in Clint's quiver flew and hit the bullseye once again. Something resembling a smirk grew on his lips.

"Y'know what Cap? You might be right."

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**Take pity on me and tell me what you think :)?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews! :)**

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**I'll Be There For You **

**Part 2**

5 years ago- Steve Rogers' house

_Sorry for your less, Rogers. Steve, I'm sorry for your loss. Stay strong kid, and sorry for your loss._

"_Thank you" Steve replied automatically, shaking countless hands of blurry figures presenting their condolences. Standing right next to him, his girlfriend Peggy kept a watchful eye open on the whole funeral reception. Later, Steve would be grateful for it, but right now, his mind felt lost in such a daze that he couldn't think properly. His mother was gone. First his father last year and now, barely a few weeks after his seventeenth birthday, his mother. Gone in an accident, by his fault. If he hadn't stayed late at football practice to share a few drinks with his buddies, if he hadn't called her because he was too drunk to drive..._

_He felt Peggy straightening her shoulders and hissing:_

"_God, not _her_." _

_Momentarily intrigued, he followed her gaze and spotted none other than Maria Hill among the guests. She was wearing a sober black dress and her hair tied in a tight bum revealed the sharpness of her features. He involuntarily searched for her steel-blue eyes -he might not be fond of her, but those goddamn eyes were something else- ...and slapped himself mentally for it. Now was neither the place nor the moment. People were staring at her now, wondering, like Peggy, the meaning of her visit. Everyone knew her as the cold teenager living on her own downtown; and everyone knew she and Steve weren't the best buddies around. Ignoring their inquisitive gazes, Maria cut through the crowd, never lowering her eyes, and headed straight towards them. She had barely reached them that Peggy shot dryly:_

"_What are you doing here?" The imperturbable steel blue eyes stared straight back at her and Steve thought he felt his girlfriend stiffen. _

"_I am here to pay my respects." Maria replied in that cool, cold tone that annoyed him so much. She paused, took a deep breath, as if to brace herself before losing her nerves and turned back to Steve: "Could I have a word with you?" She asked, and added when Peggy opened her mouth to protest: "In private" _

_His girlfriend sent her a glare._

"_You don't have to, Steve." she said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. _

_The young man's lips thinned into a line. All the people around him, showing comfort and pity, filling their speeches with words that didn't match the look in their eyes. Them, opposed to the straightforward teen who never beat around the bush and whose eyes didn't hold hypocrisy but something more like...sympathy? Understanding? Something different, that caught his attention, awoke his curiosity and triggered the sudden urge to get out of this room. Everyone was treating him like glass. She wouldn't. Right now, he felt like he needed it. So he brushed away Peggy's hand and without taking his eyes off Maria's, replied to his girlfriend:_

"_I'll be right back."_

* * *

Steve pushed the gym's door and entered. As he expected, most of the rooms were deserted, aside from a few girls practicing their gymnastic for an upcoming competition, or the dance room where a redhead was gracefully executing a series of moves to the beat of a drumming song. He pushed the doors leading to the boxing room and glanced around. He could have believed it empty, but the faint grunts and punching sounds at the far back or the room told him otherwise. Steve migrated towards the source of the noise and spotted her.

As Clint had mildly put it, Maria Hill was beating the crap out of the punching bags. Her face was sweating, hair tied in a loose ponytail, clothes -a sleeveless T-shirt and black leggings- were starting show signs of humidity. Her eyes glowered each time her fist hit the plastic, and she didn't see him arrive, too focused on her task.

Which was probably why her foot connected with his jaw in a rotated high-kick when his extended hand brushed her shoulder, and he landed flat on his butt.

"What the..." he swore, holding his bruised jaw. Maria's eyes widened in recognition.

"Jesus! Rogers, I'm so sorry!" she blurted, immediately crouching next to the fallen man. "You're okay?"

"Ask me again in ten" he muttered, rubbing his sore point. "No broken bones, at least I think...where the heck did the high-kick come from?"

"Self-defense. Don't sneak up on me next time" she replied deadpan. "Did you bit your tongue?"

"No. Still seeing stars though." he joke, blinking hard to keep his mind in focus. Damn, he thought, he hadn't felt this knocked out since his days in the football team.

"Good." She knelt and sat on her feet, watching him attentively. She hadn't changed much, Steve thought as he took a second glance at her. Thin but not bony, muscled arms but not overly either, clean and bright from the exercise steel blue eyes...

"I take it you're better now."

_Uh_? he thought, off guard.

"You're staring. I take it you feel better." A blink later, Steve realized he had been indeed staring. But not at her face. Just a bit lower. Oups.

"Y-yeah I'm...I'm good, all good." He babbled, feeling the rise over his cheeks and cursing his momentary distraction. She had a nice body, but that didn't mean he was allowed to watch. Especially since she was standing less than a meter away from him. And had a kick-ass high-kick. To his relief though, the corner of her lips tilted upwards; so he figured he was forgiven for the time being.

"Good. What do you want?" For the second time in five minutes, _uh?_ was the only thing that popped in his mind. The puzzlement must have been more evident, since she sighed and added: "I don't remember you being overly fond of me in high-school and I never saw you walking through the doors of the boxing room. Ergo, you came here for a reason. I am asking you now, what is it?"

"Do I need a reason?" he challenged, although knowing she was right. When she kept staring at him with the '_you think I'm dumb?_' expression, he caved: "Fine. I came because I heard about your father passing."

Obviously, that was not something she expected. The blink, then frown, then slight barring of her teeth showed her annoyance.

"Was it Clint?" Steve didn't answer, so she stood up and returned to her punching bag. "Well, thanks for the visit. You can tell the brat I don't need a babysitter."

"He didn't sent me!" Steve protested, attempting -and succeeding- to stand on his feet. Now that he thought of it, the young man had not tried very hard to stop him from finding her... "And even if he did, he's just worried. He sees you as family." Three successive punches made the bag tremble badly. Steve couldn't help making the parallel with the target filled with arrows. No wonder why those two got along so well.

"I am not interested in a pity and moray party either." she shot, not sparring him a glance. "Now unless you've got something useful to say..."

Steve felt the urge to huff in indignation, but something in her voice -a very subtle, light tremor- held him back. She had never relied on anyone, he remembered. She never had family, friends, no-one to confide, no shoulder to cry on. Steve crossed his arms and gave himself a few seconds to figure out his next course of action. A lady who wasn't used to normal means of comfort, and who could only response to words with sharper words and creating distance. How could he get to her without making her feel pressured? The obvious hit him as she gave a high-kick to the punching bag.

"Actually, do you want a sparring partner?"

Maria paused in her next punch and stared at him in disbelief.

"Pardon me?"

"A sparring partner. A human being against whom you fight. Your punching bag looks like it won't survive much longer."

He hoped she wouldn't ask him why he was doing this, because he had sincerely no idea. So he waited patiently while she studied him, unreadable and distant. He tried not to stare, tried to ignore the way she stood, straight and strong, as he had always known her.

"I never thought you'd hit a woman, Rogers" she eventually said; and spotting the slight feral look in her eyes, Steve knew he was in big, big trouble.

* * *

"So, how was the training?"

Natasha Romanoff looked up and spotted Clint in the doorway. The teenager was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, an appreciative glance in his eyes. She rolled her own.

"Barton, will you stop eying me like a piece of meat?" She was only wearing her sports bra and a long black leggings spooning her curves. In response, he merely shrugged.

"Can't help it. My best friend is the hottest girl around. And why won't you change in the girls' locker room?"

"The others are stupid, chatty and hypocrites." she replied while slipping on her sweater. "Why do you think I hang out with you?"

"I'm smart? Incredibly attractive?" Natasha rolled her eyes again, but didn't stop the small smile spreading over her face. "Don't hide that pretty smile of yours, you know I can see it."

"Shut up." She replied sweetly while untying her hair. She was halfway through braiding them when a little detail came back to mind. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were supposed to go back home hours ago."

"Needed to blow some stream" he replied with a shrug. "Maria's having problems, so I sent Steve to check up on her. I was on my way to see how things were going on when I saw you." He shrugged again. "Figured I'd stop to say 'hi'." Natasha shook her head in exasperation.

"Don't tell me you're trying to play matchmaker with those two?" At Clint's sheepish grin, she added, narrowing her eyes: "You do realize Maria will kill you if she finds out about that?"

"I'm pretty sure she already knows."

"And you do realize she has a _very_ mean punch?" she asked, deadpan.

"I trust you to save me." he replied with a sweet smile, that Natasha did not return. Once, for fun, she had tested her martial art against Maria's boxing. While none of them had come out unbruised, Maria hadn't been the one lumping around for a week_._ Needless to say, the redhead wasn't keen on repeating the experience. "You will, right?"

The puppy gaze got her every time, and he knew it. Still, she snorted with an indifferent shrug:

"Nope. I'll let you deal with her wrath on your own." Clint immediately put a hand over his chest and took a pained expression.

"But Tasha, I thought you loved me?" When she rose an eyebrow: "Fine. Leave me alone to face my destiny."

Natasha couldn't help it; she laughed heartily.

"You're such a drama queen."

"I'm not a drama queen!" he protested, but picked up her bag when he noted she was ready to leave. Natasha grinned as they walked out of the dance room and through the silent corridors.

"You're right. You're just an idiot." Clint frowned, as if deep in thought.

"Maybe. But I'm still your idiot."

The words hung in the air and Clint suddenly looked embarrassed. Natasha didn't speak until they were out of the building.

"You don't need to carry my bag each time, you know." she said casually, although she secretly loved it. She still had no idea why the young man had decided to befriend her one day, when she wouldn't let anyone in; why he had pushed and pushed her around until she, miss independent, came to let him carry her freaking _bag_ out of the gym. Like a perfect boyfriend.

"I'll do it anytime, _you know_" he parroted her just as casually, the cocky grin back in place.

Clint wasn't the golden boy. While his grades kept at decent level -she suspected Maria tutored him from time to time- he was impertinent, a joker, easily distracted and never holding back when caught in a fistfight. Still, he was always attentive to his friends and family. No blatant demonstration of love, but a subtle word or action to show he cared, in his own way. And the fact he showed himself trustworthy and loyal made her lo-like him even more. She frowned, wondering if she had been indeed on the verge of thinking the L word.

"Tasha?"

His eyebrows were frowned, staring at her with mild worry. Natasha considered him. They bantered and flirted with each other, but she never actually thought of deepening their...friendship. Well, truthfully, she had. The way he looked at her sometimes, the brushes of his hands -accidents she always categorized...maybe considered it, but not seriously. Never seriously. Clint Barton was her only friend and if she came to lose him because she had misread...

Before she realized it, Natasha leaned closer and kissed the corner of his mouth. Just a quick peck, gentle and affectionate. A peck that could be taken either for friendly, or...

"_My_ idiot" she repeated, fighting the sudden urge to run. "And don't you dare forget it."

He stared at her, flabbergasted. The redhead turned away and walked -yes walked, not ran- away from him. Leave it to him to figure things out.


	3. Chapter 3

**First, thanks for the review :) Shorter chapter here -sorry bout that ^^" and a little more hints of Clintasha. Hope you enjoy it!**

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**I'll Be There For You**

**3**

Maria was barely stepping out of the shower that the front door swung open.

"Maria! I need your freaking advice!"

The young woman stared in disbelief at a panic-looking, trembling Clint. The teen had obviously just ran out of class and headed straight at her apartment. Given the way his hands were shaking, the slight sweat on his forehead and the anxious look in his eyes, Maria assumed it to be very important.

"Natasha kissed me yesterday!" Seriously? Maria thought in disbelief, but before she could add something, Clint went on: "I was walking her out of the dancing room and we were chatting -or not chatting- as usual and then she was all weird and just kept staring at me like I don't know like I had a thing on my face or something and then she just tiptoed and freaking _kiss-"_

"Clint! Slow down!" Maria barked. Thankfully, he obeyed and stared at her with a hopeful glint in his eye. "Listen kid, you are going to do me a favor and go in the kitchen. Make yourself some chocolate or coffee or tea -hell, pick up a beer for all I care" and before he could protest, she rose a hand to keep him quiet: "And you are going to let me get dressed."

The teenager blinked and took a second glance at her clothes. Or lack of. Indeed, a humid fluffy towel was the only thing Maria had around her body. After all, she _had_ been having a relaxing shower a few minutes before her surrogate kid brother had barged in. A deep shade of pink covered his cheeks and he quickly rushed to the kitchen. Maria shook her head, halfway amused, halfway annoyed, and went to take care of her business. A few minutes later, she found Clint obediently sitting at the table, a mug of black coffee in one hand and tea on the other.

"Didn't know if you had one already" he muttered, nodding towards the coffee. Maria knew that was his form of apology and accepted it with a smile.

"So" she said, taking place right across him. "Tell me."

Clint breathed in deeply and repeated:

"Natasha kissed me. And I don't have a fucking clue about what to do." To his surprise, Maria smirked.

"I'd rather say it's about damn time." He blinked.

"Damn time? Why?"

"Clint, the fact you two are into each other -no pun intended- was a known fact for everyone but you guys. You've been turning around her like a puppy since you've known her and she talks about you all the time." Clint stared at her incredulously, and Maria rolled her eyes. "Fine, she asks about you when we cross at the gym. In my book, especially concerning _the_ Natasha Romanoff, that's talking about you."

"Oh" he said with an intense expression on his face, as if absorbing valuable information. "What do you think I should do?"

She wanted to smack him badly right now.

"I don't know, ask her out?" _duh_, she mentally added.

"Ask her out? You mean like a _date?"_ Maria stared at him in disbelief; did she really need to spell it out for him?

"No, like do homework together. Of course a date, dummy." The panicked expression on his face was hilarious.

"A date?" he repeated, dumbstruck. "But Nat doesn't do dates. Heck, I don't do dates!"

"Well you better make up your mind and talk to her. I don't think you can avoid her for the rest of your life." Clint looked suddenly very busy staring at his mug.

"I'm never gonna face her after that. I mean a freaking date? I'm not even sure I like-_like_ her. How can I know?" He glanced at her with hopeful eyes, as if she was the fountain of knowledge. Or held a miracle-solution to his dilemma. Maria rolled her eyes again.

"Well for starters, what do you like about her?" His mouth twisted and he frowned, as if confronting a particularly difficult problem.

"She's hot. And smart." he started slowly. "And funny. And ninja-like super strong. She has pretty hair too. And I like her eyes."

While he listed the qualities of his friend, Maria suddenly stood up and moved towards the cupboard. She hadn't started cooking her dinner yet and she wasn't sure if Clint would stay tonight.

"Sleepover?" she asked the moment he stopped talking. Clint frowned, then shrugged.

"Sure. Phil's out tonight."

"What do you want to eat for dinner? I don't have enough leftovers." The teen's eyes brightened.

"Spaghettis. With your special bologna sauce." Maria smirked. That was the one dish she never failed to cook.

"Okay. I'll be busy but you can keep talking." Clint shrugged and stared at his mug. He talked about his school day, about teachers being idiots, Natasha being a good friend, others picking on him, Natasha's dancing, his progress at archery, Natasha's new passion for martial arts and her kicking asses with it, the new kid -Banner he thought-having a major fight with Loki, Natasha's perfume and new clothes...

"Oh my God" he suddenly said. "I can't stop talking about her now!" Maria, still bent over her pans, stirring the boiling spaghettis, smirked at the slight panic in his voice. "Let's talk about something else...what about you? Everything good?"

Halfway distracted by the cooking, she almost missed his question.

"Work's fine. Jerry's coming tomorrow morning" Clint grimaced hearing her boyfriend's name. "And I won't be going." It didn't take the teenager long to connect the dots.

"To the funeral?" Maria nodded, not tearing her head away from the pan. "Why?"

"It's not worth it." What she truly meant was, _he_ was not worth it. The man had thrown dirt at her her whole life. Why would she want to honor his memory by showing up and pretend she cared? It felt odd mentioning this with a seventeen year old, but she knew Clint would understand. He had no parents too, and a brother who had abandoned him in a circus before being taken in by social services and ending with Phil and Anita Coulson. She knew everything because he had told her, when she started babysitting him. Why he had gotten attached to her so much and so quickly though, she didn't know; but she was goddamn grateful for it. He kept her grounded, gave a meaning to her live -to keep an eye on him like a kid brother. Maybe, she reflected, the feeling was mutual.

"You're not gonna regret it?" Maria looked up and stared at him.

"What would you do?" Clint shrugged.

"Well, if Barney died, I'd show up if only in the memories of the good times we had together. I mean, before he dumped me, we were tight. You and your dad weren't, so I dunno. Your call in the end." Both sighed.

"Okay, enough of the heavy stuff" Maria cut with a faint smile. "So, are you going to ask Natasha out?"

The teen shrugged.

"Maybe. I mean, yeah I like her, but maybe we can take things slow, y'know?" Maria chuckled.

"I get it. Why don't you give her a call now? You can use my phone." Clint winced.

"You sure? Isn't it too early?"

"Too early?" Maria repeated, frowning in confusion.

"Yeah, I mean, when you start a relationship, don't you have to wait a day or two before calling?" The young woman snorted.

"Whoever invented that rule is an idiot. And you'll see her at school tomorrow anyway. Clint," she added with a soft smile. "Natasha and you have known each other for a while. She'll understand if you want to test the waters first. I think that's what she'd want too."

"Okay" he looked a little more confident as he stood up and carried his mug to the sink. "I'll do that then."

Once he left the kitchen, she picked up her own cell phone and dialed Jerry's number. Talking to Clint about girlfriends reminded her of hers and the slight guilt of neglecting him lately. Maybe he'd want to go out tomorrow night, it has been a while since any of them had time to spa-

"_Hi, this is Jerry's phone. He's currently in the shower, but can I take a message?"_

Maria froze. The voice was definitively not Jerry's.

"Uh hi" she replied uneasily. "Who are you?"

No assumptions, she repeated herself. No assump-

"_Tania, Jerry's girlfriend. Who are you?"_

They hadn't been going out for long, but the pang of anger and disappointment still hit her hard. Maria took a deep breath and replied calmly:

"No-one. Sorry for bothering."

And when she hung up, she barely kept herself from throwing the pan on the floor.

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**More Steve/Maria in the next chapter...**


	4. Chapter 4

**First of all, thank you for the reviews; they really ma my day!**

** A bit of a fill-in chapter...was kinda stuck in an author's block and the massive headache didn't help. Hope you'll still enjoy it!**

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**I'll Be There For You**

The Asgardian was unusually empty that morning, and Maria was okay with that. In about five minutes or so, Jerry Woods would step in the bar, and in no way she wanted the son of a bitch to make a major drama when she would be done with him. Because that guy, afterthought, was such a whinny...

"Morning sweetheart!"

Speak of the devil. The dark-haired green-eyed man sat across the counter and smiled at her. She felt her heart skip a beat; his smile is one of the little things that made her agree to go on a date with him. That, and the charmer he could be when he put the effort into it. She replied with a sharp nod, turned around and prepared his usual espresso. She slid it to him, he thanked her and she waited until he has taken a sip to attack:

"So, I heard Tania is a lovely girl. Congratulations."

Jerry spit out his coffee and stared at her wide-eyed.

"How do you know about Tania?"

Maria's jaw and fists tightened. He wasn't even bothered denying?

"Phone call, yesterday evening. You were under the shower." She turned around the counter for a face to face. If she was breaking up with him, she wanted him to remember what it was like to piss off Maria Hill. "Is Tania the reason why you are so 'busy' sometimes? How long have you been screwing her?"

Jerry swallowed hard.

"Not long, I swear Maria. But Tania is just a lousy mist-"

BAM

Her fist hit his stomach then his jaw full force and Jerry tumbled back and fell over a table. The three customers stared wide-eyed. Maria was still glaring and ready to strike, and still didn't move when Thor, her boss, showed up from the kitchen.

"Maria? What's going on?"

"Are you crazy!" Jerry shouted, holding his jaw, stumbling up and holding on the closest table -that tilted and fell under his weight too. "You bitch!"

Thor frowned and stepped forwards.

"Careful, I will not tolerate this language in my bar."

"She hit me first!" the man protested, successfully standing up this time and staying at a respectable distance of his now ex girlfriend.

"He should know not to cheat on a girl." Maria muttered. Thor raised an eyebrow at her, then turned towards the man. A slow smirk grew over his face.

"I'll let it go this time. Lad, believe me, she's letting you off the hook easily. And I don't want to see you in my bar again. Got it? And Maria, next time, you can have the back yard, all you have to do is ask. In the meantime, you get to clean up your mess" he added nodding towards the fallen tables.

"Yes sir." the young woman replied, lowering her fists and reaching for the rag tied at her apron. Without sparing a second glance to Jerry, she headed towards the first table and leaned forwards to pick it up...

"You bitch" was all the warning she had. Her ex boyfriend had started a move on her, ready to strike from behind. But Maria merely stood up and gave the look she usually kept for troublesome customers. The look that even made Thor, twice her size and way stronger, back off any day. Expectingly, Jerry froze mid-movement.

"You heard my boss. Out."

And out he was.

* * *

The clock was heading towards three when another familiar visitor stepped in the Asgardian and sat at the counter. Virginia Potts -also known as Pepper among her coworkers and friends- gave her a solid elbow in the ribs and nodded towards the newcomer. Maria looked up from her current task -wiping the glasses, and recognized Steve. The man smiled at her and she smiled back, remembering how they had parted two days ago: sweating, bruised, feeling grateful for his proposition of sparing after all. Maybe she should put whatever he'd order on the house, as a thank you gesture...

"Look at this one! He's a cutie! And he's looking at you..."

Encouraged by the saucy smile from her coworker, Maria sighed and reluctantly went to take his order.

"Hey" he said as soon as she approached. The smile on his face made a funny thing to her mind, but she pushed it back in a far end corner. Jerry's smile had been the first thing to catch her attention, and she didn't need to flash on a guy that soon. Especially one who never liked her that much. Didn't matter if he was goddamn cute either. Maria restrained another deep sigh; back in high-school, Steve Rogers was a...she wouldn't say ladies' man, because his gentle manners and kindness were legendary -and he was completely devoted to his girlfriend, but there was something in his behavior, perhaps he did involuntary, that made every girl swoon each time he looked at them. And she had to admit, she counted herself among them. But that was a long time ago.

"Hi. So, did you place your order?" Okay, awkward move. In the corner of her eye, Maria saw Pepper pull a face. For some reason, Steve grinned in amusement.

"Still professional no matter what." The comment made the corner of Maria's lips tug up.

"That's what I'm paid for. Take orders and be pretty."

"And you do it _pretty_ well." he replied with a wink. That was it, Maria thought, why did he have to play it charming? "Fine, I'll take a latte. Oh, and I came to give you this."

He pulled out a tissue from his pocket and gave it to her. Maria unfolded it with puzzled eyes. Inside...She stared at him in disbelief.

"Teeth?"

"Jerry's teeth, to be precise."

"You beat up Jerry?"

"Actually, you have to thank Clint for that. The kid left me nothing to deal with. Sheriff Fury took him in, and his adoptive father picked him up a few moments ago. Just thought you'd like to know."

For a few seconds, Maria said nothing. Then she sighed and shook her head.

"I'm going to kill him." Steve smirked.

"Well there's not much left to kill honestly..."

"I'm not talking about Jerry. I'm talking about Clint. I don't need protection." The young man frowned. Maria caught his puzzlement and asked: "What is it?"

"Clint said you'd say that; and he wanted to add that he beat up Jerry because he spoiled the bologna sauce. Does that makes any sense to you?"

The smirk on her lips informed him it did. Too busy plotting how she'd get her revenge on Jerry, Maria had completely messed up her usually perfect spaghettis. And obviously, Clint had been too polite to point it out. Or point out her sour mood afterwards, even though she had attempted to be cheerful for him. Apparently, she had perfectly failed. She hoped it hadn't dampened his mood, especially since Natasha had agreed to go out on a date with him...Thinking about it, Clint's adoptive father would definitively ground him for three months. Or one week. When Clint wanted something, he always had his way; and Phil was too forgiving for his own good.

"He's just being a brat." she replied with a shrug, but barely containing the pleased grin. "Thanks for playing the messenger."

"My pleasure."

She left to get him his coffee, and was ambushed by Pepper. The young woman stared at her pointedly, her fist on her hip.

"That's how you flirt? Girl, you need to relax! I know you just got rid of that dumbass" she added before Maria could object: "But I'm sure he's worth it."

"Steve's not..."

"And you already know his name! C'mon, live up a little!"

"Whatever" she muttered, knowing how persevering Pepper could be when she had an idea in mind. She returned to Steve and slid his drink in front of him. He picked it up with a grateful nod, before freezing mid-gesture.

"Why is your coworker staring at us?" Maria glanced over her shoulder and spotted Pepper not so discreetly ogling them.

"She wants me to use you as a rebound to tend me broken heart." she replied deadpan. Steve grinned mischievously.

"And will you? Use me as a rebound." It was Maria's turn to smirk.

"Depends. Are you offering?"

"I am single." he replied with a shrug. Maria leaned forwards, resting her elbows on the counter and frowned.

"Really? I thought you and Peggy had made it after high-school."

"Not really. She enrolled in the navy and I went to art school. We broke up, but we're still friends. She's actually engaged to a guy from her promotion."

"That's nice" the young woman said with a sincere smile. Although Peggy and she had not been good friends -Maria would always remember the harsh slap she had received at the funeral of Steve's mom because of a stupid misunderstanding- the girl had been someone to be respected. "Wait, you said you were in art school?"

Since the clients seemed to have deserted the bar, their conversation carried on. The subject of their respective studies turned into a conversation about books and then about art and about politics and movies and sports and a whole bunch of other stuff until Thor stepped out from the kitchen and called:

"You're not paid for chatting with the clients Maria!"

Only then, the young woman glanced at the clock and realized over an hour had gone by and the bar, previously quiet, was starting to get crowded again. And no matter how good Pepper was waitressing, she couldn't handle everything. So Maria threw him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, duty calls."

"Of course" Steve nodded with understanding. Then, he took a deep breath and asked: "Would you like to spare after your shift?" Maria's questioning eyes laid upon him, and this time, he blushed. Last time he had made the offer, he wanted to comfort her in his own way, distract her from any gloomy thoughts. This time, even though he knew she had broken up with her boyfriend the very morning, he was sort-of asking her out. In a friendly way, of course; he wouldn't dare making a move on her without trying to_ ...court..._ her first. "I mean, a rematch after last time? We weren't quite sure who beat the other, really."

And he was being truthful. Steve had never expected her to have a decent boxing training or such strength in her arms and legs -he still had the bruises to prove it. And after the past hour-or-so they had spent chatting and debating and exchanging, he had come to realize they might have more in common that he originally thought. A full minute ticked -not that he was counting- before something changed in her eyes and she shrugged carelessly.

"Works with me. Meet at 7 at the gym?"

Steve left the bar incredibly pleased with himself.

* * *

The phone rang twice before Phil Coulson picked up. While the voice on the other line was not familiar, the name did ring a bell. So he turned towards the staircase and shouted:

"Clint! Got a phone call from a Romanoff girl." His adoptive son was down within seconds. "Maybe I should use that name more often." Phil pointed out casually, handing him the phone. "You know, when we have visitors."

The teenager threw him an odd sideway glance before taking the phone. Phil wasn't particularly angry at Clint for beating up Jerry Woods; he knew Maria personally, and didn't think she deserved to be cheated on; hence he left Clint get away with a few weeks grounding and no cell phone. Although, he _would_ have preferred that his adoptive son found another way on getting revenge; or had beaten up the man in an empty alley instead of a public area.

So when he walked away, his thoughts were mainly occupied on wondering when did his boy had gotten himself a girlfriend, and if he'd have to lay out the dating rules inside the house soon.

"_So I heard about your exploits"_ Natasha started for greeting. _"Right in the parking lot of the guy's college? Seriously? The message was a bit too obvious." _

"Hey, the guy had it coming" Clint replied with nonchalance. "He hurt Maria and made her screw up her bologna sauce."

"_What an unforgivable sin."_ she mocked in response.

"Wait till you taste it. Then you'll understand."

Natasha chuckled then fell silent. There was a momentary pause before she carried on softly:

"_You are really protective of her." _

"I'd say we're even. You didn't see what she did to Bobby when she broke up with me." The girl laughed.

"_Actually, I heard the rumors. Did that bitch really check her food for worms till she moved out of town after she broke your heart?" _

"I swear I have no idea how Maria did it."

"_Damn, you two are tight. I better watch my back then." _

"Nah, she likes you; you don't have to worry about her." Clint joked, but knew that Maria would make Natasha's life hell if she ever hurt him. "She's the kind that would rather give me condoms than glare at me with a 'don't even think about it' face."

"Remind me to have a little chat with Maria next time I see her." Phil called from afar. Clint was torn between glaring at his adoptive father for eavesdropping or looking decently embarrassed, and nearly missed Natasha's next words:

"_Must be nice to have someone to trust like that."_

"Oh believe me Tasha, there are only that many people I trust. Three actually."

"_Three? That many?_" her voice sounded surprised. _"I take one is Maria, but who are the two others?" _

"Well there's Phil, and you know the last one is you." She didn't reply. He cleared his throat and added awkwardly: "Uh...well I guess my grounding means our date is canceled."

"_Yeah"_ she sounded relieved to be lead on a safer territory. _"It's the price for living up to your reputation and defending your sister's honor." _

"I take it you don't mind getting involved with a guy that will be tagged _'brainless_ _brute'_ for a while?"

"_Better that than a show off like Stark or an antisocial creep like Loki_." she teased. _"Don't worry Clint, you had a good reason. Actually, I didn't expect any less from you." _

"So you figured I'd just go and beat the crap out of that guy?"

"_That's your way of defending your family, to show you care for them. Not sure everyone agrees with it, but that's who you are; and I wouldn't like you as much if you didn't." _

There was another silence, not quite heavy but still uncomfortable.

"_You still there?" _

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, I guess."

"_Uh...you're welcome." _

"Okay, so, date for the date." Clint cleared his throat and went on: "I'm grounded for a few weeks here, your recital is sometime next month and winter's showing up..."

"_Clint" _she interrupted with a hint of amusement in her voice_, "let's just cancel paintball and find something else to do."_


	5. Chapter 5

**I'll Be There For You**

**5**

"Is it me or you are particularly worked up?" Steve asked as he dodged another punch. Maria took a step back to escape the upcoming low kick and frowned.

"Worked up?" she repeated while taking a few seconds to evaluate her success rate with a high kick. "Why?"

"You are a bit meaner that last time. Didn't realize that-" he quickly crouched to evade her foot. "-breaking up with your boyfriend hurt you that much."

"Not likely." She shot back, taking advantage of him being down to push him on the sparing mat. Steve somehow managed to avoid her attack and sprung forwards, aiming for the stomach. "We haven't been dating long enough to…" she jumped on the side and in a dirty move tripped him by extending her leg. Once he realized he was falling, Steve caught the closest thing at hand to stop him from going down –her shirt. Of course, Maria realized it a fraction of a second too late, and didn't catch her balance fast enough. She fell forwards soon after him along with a loud 'craaaaaack'.

Of course, she had to fall on Steve. And of course, he had to tear her shirt in the right place. Sure enough; when the young man opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of her sports bra and lovely neckli…His breath got caught in his throat; was it a scar barring her cleavage? A pinkish line as long as his hand…but before he could analyze it longer, Maria got back on track, swore when she realized what he was staring and sat straight, catching the torn pangs of her top to patch them up in a makeshift knot. It hid her scar, but exposed her smooth stomach. Steve suddenly had the urge to touch the skin, to see if it felt as soft as it looked. But he figured, due to her severe glare at him, that he might have other priorities right now.

"Don't ask." She hissed.

"I won't."

"Good."

Only then did they realize she was straddling his hips. Maria stood off him and walked towards the bench where she had left her stuff. While she rehydrated and wiped the sweat off her face, Steve kept an attentive eye on her. Pushing aside any thought on the scar, he returned to his previous observation: something was bothering her. He had felt it during their sparing and wanted to know more now, if she'd let him.

"What's on your mind?" he asked. She didn't grant him an answer, just started gathering her things; apparently, she deemed this session to be over. "C'mon Maria, tell me."

The young woman's lips formed a thin line as she stared at him sideways. Once again, the calculating gaze appeared on her face as she seemed to consider telling him. That was a first step, he figured. Better than knowing she wouldn't tell him anything at all.

"My father's funeral is tomorrow." She eventually said. "I thought I wouldn't be going but…I don't know anymore."

Steve studied the blankness in her eyes and spoke softly:

"You have no reason to go there."

"I know." Tensed tone; the decision was truly disturbing her. Steve took a second to consider when he had started to recognize her tells.

"Why would you want to go?" she sighed heavily.

"Set my scores with him, I guess? Be a masochist and check out how many people liked him? Catch a glimpse of the half-brothers I'll probably never see again?" she snorted at the last one. "My uncle told me they have no idea I exist. The bastard cut me completely off his life."

"Would you feel better if I went with you?"

She narrowed her eyes, immediately suspicious.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I recall a couple of years ago, that a girl who had no real affection for me still showed up at my mother's funeral to help me realize that my mother had died because of a drunk driver, not because I had call her to pick me up. That I had done the right thing –calling her because I was too drunk to drive, even though the ending sucked." Maria rolled her eyes, but her ears turned pink. Cute, Steve thought inwardly; although he knew she'd probably skin him for thinking her cute anyway. "If you need someone to be there for you, I will."

"So this is your way of repaying what you think is a debt towards me?" she replied, tilting her head on the side. Her words irritated Steve.

"Can't you just take an offer for what it is? I was asking as a friend. Will you stop insinuating I'm acting under some motivation?"

"Everyone acts under motivation" she retorted. "You are no different."

"I don't!" Steve protested.

"You want to feel better about me. You want to do something to compensate for what I did you to." Her sharp eyes never left his, daring him to object. "Don't tell me you first came at me out of goodness of heart. If I hadn't come to your mother's funeral, you wouldn't have given shit about me."

"Well it's not like you made it easy to talk to you" he replied dryly. "You keep pushing the others away like you are scared of them coming too close!"

"I am not scared!"

"Sure, you are Maria Hill, the Ice Queen, you aren't scared or phased by anything. Sometimes I wonder if you have any emotions at all! It's no wonder your boyfriend cheated on you."

Maria froze and Steve wished he could take back his words the moment they left his mouth. The hurt in her eyes hit him like a punch and the wall that built just afterwards that he realized he had lost every brownie point he had earned with her the past two days.

"Don't talk to me again."

* * *

It was raining when the coffin was lowered into the ground. The Pater Noster was recited by the attendants. At the first rank, a veiled widow stood straight and head's up. By her side sat two boys wearing black suits and red eyes. There weren't that many people she knew, Maria thought as she surveyed the crowd from the back. The old couple on the right was her former neighbors, the man on the extreme third row, an old friend of her father's –Leo something, the two women next to him were his cousins if her recollections were exact. And so on, she recognized another half-dozen people; the rest she had no idea who they might be. Relatives of her step mother perhaps? Friends he –they had made after she had left.

She crossed her arms and watched the end of the ceremony with an odd feeling of detachment. No part of her was truly sad to see him go; no glint of satisfaction busted either. The anger and frustration were still there, but she hadn't expected them to fade –she had been feeding on these feeling to keep her sane for a while. Honestly, she didn't feel like she was watching her father's burial but a stranger's. And ironically, that's what he had become; a stranger. From her point – a respectable distance away from the burial- she could see the first fist of dirt being thrown, the widow accept condolences, people surrounding the two boys, and then everyone slowly leaving the scene. She thought of offering her own condolences, but what for? The woman probably didn't even know who she was and awkward questions would lead to the awkward answers she had no desire to give. Plus, the rain was doing a nice job of drenching her and she had no desire to catch a cold.0

Maria stepped away from her hiding place and was about to leave when a voice called out to her:

"Hey, you over there, aren't you Peter's first girl? Maria?"

She turned around and recognized the man that had been her father's friend, Leo something. She held his stare and raised an eyebrow, not intending to start a conversation. So he took a few steps closer and went on:

"Yeah, I'm sure you're little Mari. Do you remember me? Leonard Richards, I use to be a good friend of your dad." She didn't answer. "I bought you some play-doh for your sixth birthday and you ate it remember?"

"I do." She replied coolly, remembering indeed that she had been eating that play-doh because her father had forgotten to fill the fridge and feed her, but she wouldn't say that. Leonard smiled awkwardly.

"Yeah well…I'm sorry to see you again under these circumstances. If you need anything…"

Maria was about to reply she actually didn't need nor want anything from him –or from anyone she had known, since she had managed on her own so far, when she noted the presence of someone she definitively did not want to interact with today. Mrs. Hill, the step-mother she had no idea of until recently, had spotted them and was coming forwards, probably intrigued by the presence of a young woman she didn't know at the funeral of her husband.

"Ah, Annabel" Leonard greeted with a sober nod. "How are you holding up?"

The woman had blond hair and bright green eyes. She wasn't especially good-looking, but not an ugly figure either. Maria wondered what had attracted her father there.

"As good as one can, I guess. I'm sorry, I don't believe we have met before" the woman said, turning towards her, politely curious. She seemed gentle, Maria thought, gentle and honest and everything her mother use to be according to her relatives. Perhaps, if her father had not accepted her departure so easily, she felt she could have accepted this woman. Maybe.

"She's Peter's eldest, Maria." Leonard replied for her. "Don't you think she looks exactly like Lily? Except the eyes. All Pet-" The young woman glared at him so sharply he didn't dare open his mouth afterwards. The widow stared at her in surprise –hurtful surprise.

"But I…I thought…" she turned towards the man and Maria, eyes seeking for answers. "I thought his daughter died years ago in a car accident." Something clenched in her chest and Maria had to dig her nails deep into her palm to keep her cool. Of course he'd say something like that. "He never spoke of you, I thought he was hurting…" The widow added, upset and genuinely intrigued at the same time. "How come?"

The young woman's eyes lingered on the dump underneath which her father laid. Soon a tombstone would cover it and it would be the end of it for Peter Hill. The others would have to live through his absence and suffer from it in different manners. The woman standing before her had nothing to do with her current predicament, so she wouldn't take out her inner rage on her.

"It doesn't matter." Maria cut dryly, taking a step back. The faint scar over her cleavage burned a little, a faint reminder of the day he almost killed her. "I'm sorry for your loss." She last said before turning heels and walking away. She ignored the calls of the widow, didn't turn back to see if their exchanged had caused any commotion among the remaining people. She just needed to get out. It wasn't until she reached the road that she noted that someone had decided to join the party.

"Do I want to know why you're here?"

Steve stood there, dressed in a black suit. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I thought you'd need a chauffeur to drive you back. Clint told me your car broke down a few days ago."

Clint, again. Maria fought the urge to roll her eyes and asked him instead:

"You knew I'd come." No question in her tone, just a statement. "Even though I can't feel anything?"

"I shouldn't have said that." He replied, his whole body-language and eyes apologetic. "It's just your way of coping with things and it was wrong of me. I out of everyone should have known better."

Maria's lips tightened; she could lash out at him, tell him she didn't give a damn about his apologies, to never approach her again –and she knew he would. But then, he wasn't exactly wrong either. And if she knew one thing about Steve Rogers, it was that he never offered an apology without meaning it.

"I'm not good at displaying emotions." She eventually muttered, avoiding his eyes.

"Is it your own way of saying you're sorry too?"

In spite of herself, a small smile curved its way over her face. His candid words, gentlemanly manners were the perfect reminder why she had crushed on him during high-school. Funny how his presence made her feel lighter. Maybe her crush hadn't completely wavered after all.

"And that's the best you'll get out of me." She replied nonchalantly. Steve stared at her warily, wondering how he should take that statement. That made Maria grin slightly.

"Oka-ay" he mumbled before adding, almost shyly: "So, are we good?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. He held her stare, and she liked it.

"Fine." She caught over his shoulder the sight of a couple of people in funeral clothes and was suddenly remembered where she was and why. The slight cheering up she had upon seeing Steve evaporated as fast as it had came. "You said you have a car?"

He followed her gaze and understood. No need to stay any longer. He had witnessed from afar the encounter with Mrs. Hill and had seen both women's discomfort.

"Over there."

It wasn't until they were driving away from the cemetery that he heard her whisper 'thank you'.

* * *

**Sorry, wasn't sure how to end this chapter, and I am a bit late in updating...hope you enjoyed reading this :) One or two chapters left! Let me know what you thought of it ^^**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'll be there for you**

**6  
**

_One week later._

Maria shut the door and threw her coat over her shoes, not willing to hang it since she was going out again. She had to go grocery shopping and university homework was getting harder and needed research, especially that last essay…

She froze at the sound of the television on and glanced at her watch. Six forty five. It could be Clint, she supposed, but he usually practiced archery till seven at school, then Phil picked him up for their 'boy's night'. Unless he had been shipped elsewhere for a couple of days; then he would let Clint at her place with some cash to pay for the teen's expenses. So Clint it might be, she decided, although walked silently to the living room in case it was an intruder. Maria peeked from afar and…

A very female giggle echoed in the room, followed by kissing sounds and hums of content. Now that she listened more carefully, bypassed the sound of TV, she could hear two heavy breathing and…She really hoped that was not what she thought it was.

"Clint? What are you do-" she called as she entered the living room and left the words die in her throat. True to her semi-expectations, Maria found herself facing a very bare-chested Clint lying over a bra-covered Natasha on _her_ couch. She narrowed her eyes as his widened in surprise and tumbled off his girlfriend. Testing waters first, hadn't he said? Well if _that_ wasn't a major improvement in his indecision.

"Ma- I –sorry I thought" he babbled, his cheeks reddening as he searched blindly in his back for his shirt while said shirt was actually on the floor. He nearly fell off the couch, too panicked and downright uncomfortable with the situation. Maria felt halfway amused, halfway annoyed because, catching her surrogate kid brother almost in the act was kinda funny, but hey, it was _her_ couch! Natasha was silent as always, her top already back on, but her ears were flushing red and avoiding her gaze.

"A word, Clint." Maria eventually said, nodding towards the bathroom. The teenager left his seat and started heading there reluctantly.

"Don't ground Clint please" Natasha suddenly spoke up, standing from the couch in turn. "I'm the one who started things. We just got carried away."

Maria returned her an unimpressed look.

"Doesn't matter who started, I still want a word with Clint. Wait here." She ordered, then left the room followed by the bashful teenager. She led him to the bathroom and closed the door behind them. Then, she crossed her arms and waited. If possible, the young man looked even more nervous. Maria smiled inside- she couldn't _wait_ to tell Steve about that one.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd be back so soon." She raised an eyebrow and Clint flinched slightly; wrong thing to say.

"So you figured my place would be perfect to make out with your girlfriend, out of Phil's eyes and ears?"

"Swear to God, we really just wanted to watch a movie! And then things…well you know" he made a vague motion of the hand to accompany his words.

"Listen to me. I don't care if you want to screw your girlfriend or not." The teenager stared at her puzzled; was he not supposed to be slapped on the wrist? "I do care that you decide to screw her in my living-room on my couch. I believe you have your own room. Use it. And put the music loud when you…you know" she repeated his last words with a light smirk. "Especially when I'm here." Pause. "On second thought put it even if I'm not here. You're old enough now to be judge of those things and I definitively _don't_ want to know."

"So…you're not angry?" He was eyeing her in disbelief, almost fearful. She smirked widely this time.

"Clint, you're a guy. She's a girl -a gorgeous one- and she likes you. Even if I kicked you out of the apartment, you'd find somewhere else to do whatever you guys are doing. I'd rather you 'do' here than…well you get my point."

He looked so relieved it nearly made her laugh. But she wasn't quite done with him yet.

"Ah, one last thing." She turned towards her chest of drawers and pulled one. She picked up something and handed it to him. "Whatever happens, promise me to use this."

Clint took it, stared at the package, and his whole face and neck turned red.

* * *

Steve spit out the gulp of water he had drank and cough in his fist.

"Y-you gave him a condom?" Maria nodded very calmly. "But…but why?"

The woman smirked. She and Steve had met the next day for another sparing session (she refused to call them dates) and had just told him the little anecdote.

"Reverse psychology." She replied. "Whenever they'll be about to have sex, Clint will remember the condom –and remember me."

"You really think it'll work?" he asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. Maria shrugged.

"Natasha threw me a dirty glare when I came across her in the corridor earlier today. I assumed it worked at least yesterday. I know she slept over; her shoes were still at the entrance when I went out this morning. But it won't in the long term. If Natasha's smart, she'll get the pill and that would definitively be safer."

Steve stared at her sideways.

"Do you always plan so far ahead?" Maria shrugged.

"As much as I love Clint, I'm not in a hurry to see his kids run around anytime soon. I'm not stopping him though."

"Aha." He replied, obviously skeptical.

"I just want him to act like a responsible person." she added, frowning at Steve. "Is that wrong from me?"

The blond smiled sheepishly and shrugged. Maria observed the way the corners of his mouth curved upwards, the honest laugher in his eyes. She had no idea why he had continued to seek her company after the funeral –or rather she did, she just didn't want to acknowledge it yet- but she liked it. He was smart, didn't back off at her biting humor and a strong opponent. He also didn't mind her silences, didn't push her into talking –and even when he did, knew when to stop. He was learning more about her every day and so was she.

"I understand, although I'm not sure I'd act the same if Natasha was my sister" he joked and picked up a cereal bar from a pack she had brought for both of them.

"If he hurts her, I will kick his ass anyway. Natasha's a good kid; she's just hard to figure out."

"A bit like you?" Maria threw him a warning side-glance. Steve shrugged. "Just saying that might be the reason why you three bound so easily. So are you hungry? I know a Mexican restaurant nearby."

The last sentence was rushed compared to the rest. He sounded quite nonchalant, but Maria felt it, the tenseness and forced casualty. It did reassure her a little, knowing that he wasn't the only one feeling nervous right now. And Mexican was her favorite; if that wasn't enough big of a hint. He glanced at her when she didn't answer right away. She decided to stall him a little, and raised an eyebrow keeping her expression flat.

"Is that a date?"

Steve swallowed heavily and bit his lower lip.

"It's up to you." He eventually replied. "Don't feel…I mean I don't want to pressure you or anything, I'm perfectly fine being friends and all, I mean-"

She dropped next to him, stole his bottle of fresh water and took a generous gulp for herself. Then she turned to look at him, feeling her cheeks warm as she replied:

"I'd like that."

* * *

**Okay this is the end (short and a bit rushed but I didn't know what to add afterwards…) Hope you enjoyed this and see you in another fic :)**


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